i use them and globaldrugsdirect but the latter raised their prices too high. both had great lantus--better than i got in the US for some reason. i think they all originate in germany but perhaps transport/wait time in US is too long or something.

Has anyone ordered from medisave.ca? That seems like a low price for lantus! Is it american or canadian prices? Also, does it include shipping, and do you need a prescription?

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I have never ordered from them, that I recall. That is a low price--$125 for 5 3ml Solostar pens. I called them. That is the current price, and shipping is $14. All prices US dollar. (Your credit card company may charge you a currency fee. I'm not sure why but it was an unpleasant surprise for me when I ordered in US dollars to a Canadian pharmacy and had to pay a currency fee.)

The woman I spoke to said the website is wrong in referring to Lantus as an OTC med. A prescription is required, she said.

Wow, look at their Levemir price. $115 for 5 Flexpens. I wish I had verified that price when I called. If true, that is something to snatch up. Doesn't make sense with the catridges being $170.

Venita
Keep in mind the exchange rates these days too. Yesterday the Canadian dollar surpassed the US Dollar. It has been hovering around par the last week.
As you know,you do not need a script to purchase Lantus or Lev here but maybe they are requiring on to ship to the US?

Venita
Keep in mind the exchange rates these days too. Yesterday the Canadian dollar surpassed the US Dollar. It has been hovering around par the last week.
As you know,you do not need a script to purchase Lantus or Lev here but maybe they are requiring on to ship to the US?

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The pricing on the site is in USD. Since 1/1/10, all Canadian pharmacies require a script to ship insulin to the US.

i use them and globaldrugsdirect but the latter raised their prices too high. both had great lantus--better than i got in the US for some reason. i think they all originate in germany but perhaps transport/wait time in US is too long or something.

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I paid $57 + tax for ONE Lantus pen yesterday. (They didn't have cartridges.) But buying 5 at a time, would they KEEP??? I know they keep only 28 days once they are opened (though we can try longer), but it seems they wouldn't keep for months unopened either; sticking a sterile needle in can't make a huge difference... and using only 1/2 unit a day, Dr. Jen said one pen was 300 doses - that is, of course, if it will keep its strength that long.

Anyway, I just wonder if 5 would keep long enough to use them...if so, I will certainly get my next ones there.

I paid $57 + tax for ONE Lantus pen yesterday. (They didn't have cartridges.) But buying 5 at a time, would they KEEP???

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They are supposed to be good through the expiration date, which is usually into 2011 or 2012. You can call the Canadian pharmacy you want to order from and ask what expiration dates they are selling. You could consider splitting a box of 5 with someone else on the same insulin.

Shirley and Ragnar wrote:I paid $57 + tax for ONE Lantus pen yesterday. (They didn't have cartridges.) But buying 5 at a time, would they KEEP???

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Sam's Club will sell single pens and will price match competitors prices. I purchased a single there for $38.02 which was 1/5th what Costco was charging for a box of 5. They just phoned and verified the price. I am not a member of either..but both will sell pharmacy to anyone. (w/ a prescription)

Sam's Club will sell single pens and will price match competitors prices. I purchased a single there for $38.02 which was 1/5th what Costco was charging for a box of 5. They just phoned and verified the price. I am not a member of either..but both will sell pharmacy to anyone. (w/ a prescription)

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That's the best deal I have seen! There isn't a Sam's Club in Valley City, but there is in Fargo, and I have friends who are members - and others who occasionally go to Fargo. I'm certainly getting my next pen from Sam's Club, and hope they will give me the same deal they gave you.

best way i can think of to keep them lasting is to buy a small fridge thermometer and make sure your fridge is at @40 degrees. i've only bought 5-packs of lantus (buncha cartridges and one set of 5 pens), and they've all lasted a long time.

initially i threw my lantus cartridges out at around a month but now i keep them to the last drop, which for me is about 9 or 10 weeks per cartridge. the only ones i had that went bad were from costco & walgreens near san francisco or were inherited from other cats. so far i swear by the canadian ones. they come in a styrofoam box with ice packs that have melted by the time i get them, and i put the cartridges in the fridge immediately. once i open one to use it, i leave it upright in an old pill container (those orangeish plastic ones) lined on the inside with bubble wrap so if they drop the impact is softer.

i've left my lantus out overnight and dropped it many times with no problem at all. only time i actually killed one of my cartridges myself i left it in front of a hot heating vent for hours so it was definitely my fault (high heat or freezing will kill it). after all the things i've done to it, i don't think lantus is fragile at all. cleo was on 0.75u BID for quite a while and those cartridges stayed good. (she's on a higher dose now and that's what lasts about 9-10 weeks.) normal shaking like it would get in transit has not affected the ones i got from canada. they're packaged very well.

- Wow, seems VERY expensive for Lantus. . . . there is a 10ml vial available at the IDA pharmacy in BC, Canada for $70 plus taxes ($78 all in) - is that good? Is that the same product as you are referring to? - Chatcat24

Sam's Club will sell single pens and will price match competitors prices. I purchased a single there for $38.02 which was 1/5th what Costco was charging for a box of 5. They just phoned and verified the price. I am not a member of either..but both will sell pharmacy to anyone. (w/ a prescription)

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That's the best deal I have seen! There isn't a Sam's Club in Valley City, but there is in Fargo, and I have friends who are members - and others who occasionally go to Fargo. I'm certainly getting my next pen from Sam's Club, and hope they will give me the same deal they gave you.

Blessings!

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I tried to find lantus insulin on Sam's club, Walmart and Target website but no luck. Do you have to get it at a brick and mortar store? Any other suggestions on where to get inexpensive lantus?

I tried to find lantus insulin on Sam's club, Walmart and Target website but no luck. Do you have to get it at a brick and mortar store? Any other suggestions on where to get inexpensive lantus?

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Randall,

You would have to go to or call a brick and mortar pharmacy. The US pharmacies generally don't list prescription items on their websites.

Another possible sources of inexpensive Lantus is Craigslist. I don't know where you live, but (for example) here is a person in Dallas selling what I presume to be a box of 5 Lantus pens for $30. You need to be extra cautious buying from CL, asking questions about where the person got the insulin and how it has been handled, and hoping to find it in a factory sealed box and, if not, checking each pen to make sure it hasn't been tampered with. I have been able to successfully buy insulin inexpensively through CL. I have even posted on CL looking for insulin and diabetic supplies for free or inexpensively.

Wonder if that offer from Dallas is still good; if you or others here haven't already rushed to take advantage! I live on east coast so transportation might be an issue. I did post and look on the CL in my area (near D.C.) but nothing so far. Probably a bad time of year to be looking for this.

Those who have received insulin from Canada before, can you let me know how they were shipped? How they were packaged, and which carrier was used? What was marked on the customs form? Just doing some research on shipping my extra Lantus to someone in the States.

I called the order in on Friday 1/21/11 in the evening on the phone. The lady on the phone was very helpful and said I DID NOT need a prescription.

The cost for the pens was 159.99...shipping was 15.00 so totall was $174.99

They arrived here on 1/29/11 - wrapped in a cooler pkg in a box. Wrapping on outside is Xpresspost. It came from Mannitoba,Canada The customs form says Personal Prescriptions with a value of 99.00.

The papers inside say that "effective OCTOBER 5/09 this item requires a prescription for orders placed from the US" .......hmmmm
ALSO - the receipt is definitely from www.77canadapharmacy.com - however - at the top it also says www.canamericaglobal.com - the other canadian pharmacy - w different phone numbers for both.

Hope this helps someone!

I just "chatted" with canamericaglobal and they say 5 pens thru them are 93.92 + shipping. Pens come from turkey. NO RX needed

NorthWestPharmacy.com has a box of Lantus SoloStar pens for $98.49. Shipping is $10. Here.

CanPharm.com is much more expensive--$261--here. But they have a 110% price guarantee if other pharmacies meet certain conditions (which NorthWest does) and CanPharm gives a credit of $10 for new prescriptions. $10 shipping for orders under $99.

I recently ordered a box of Lantus SoloStar pens from Pharmacy Rx World for $95, free shipping. http://www.pharmacyrxworld.com/
I ordered on a Thursday evening, faxed the script to them within an hour, then called to confirm they received the fax. They said they ship within 24-48 hours when I talked to them, but the website says they ship within 2 business days....they shipped on Monday morning. They said shipping takes 7-10 business days...it took 7 calendar days (5 business days) to get them. They were well packaged with ice packs that were melted but still cold in a styrofoam cooler. The expiration date on the pens is 05/2013. I'm pretty happy with the service! I'll provide feedback on how long the insulin lasts once opened when I start using them (soon).

Hope this helps!

ETA: I opened the first pen yesterday, 3/10. No change in Mr Tinkles' numbers, so the Lantus appears to be fine! I'll post results about how long the insulin maintains potency when I open the next pen.

Laurie, i too am looking for lantus at a better price. i went to the site you mentioned and found the price you had given. what i need to know, (i've only used vials so far), what is the difference between a lantus cartridge 100ui/ml,1x(5x3ml) for $115 and lantus solostar insulin prefilled syringes 100ui/ml 1x(5x3ml) for $95?
is the cartridge the same thing as a pen. please forgive my ignorance.

The cartridge and pen are different. However, both are used the same. You stick the needle of the insulin syringe in the rubber stopper and draw out the insulin does you need. The five pacs of each contain the same amount of insulin 15 ml (5X 3 ml). Therefore, the pens are a better buy.

One other thing, when i have found what i want to buy, do i just call my vet and give him the website where i want to order from and the item number? again sorry for the ignorance but i've always had prescription in hand.

Sorry, I don't check this thread every day...thanks Larry and Claudia! I would order pens, both because the cartridges are being discontinued, and because the pens are plastic...less risk of breaking if you drop them. I'm a clutz, I worry about that. :lol: The difference between the vial and the pens/cartridges has been explained already.

You need to order the insulin first....then you can fax or email the script to them, or have your vet call them or they will call your vet for you if you want. I would fax or email it myself, because then *I* have control over it getting done in a timely fashion...but that's just me. They will email instructions to you promptly when you order, including a form to use to send your script. Then give them a follow up phone call an hour or so after sending the script to confirm that they received it...that may speed up your order processing.

I bought a box of 5x3ml pens from Canadadrugsonline for $128 plus $10 S&H. It took 16 days to get them.

They were shipped from Turkey. Came in a cooler, the ice packs were melted and the insulin box was hot. I hope it didn't spoil. I will call tomorrow and complain. :evil:

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The insulin I had ordered from pharmacyrxworld.com would have come from Turkey, too. I became suspicious when I got an email saying it would be up to 21 days in transit, used their live chat, found this out in time to cancel the order about 15 minutes ago, and came to the Board to tell everyone. The friend who was going to split the box of 5 pens didn't want it either. In the unlikely event that Ragnar goes back on Lantus (he has been having wide swings, and Dr. is switching him to Prozinc), the friend will pick up hers and mine at Sam's Club in Fargo.

From the address on the website, it looks as if it would come from Winnipeg, very close to me since I live in ND. We should check out any Canadian pharmacy before ordering - it may not be Canadian after all.

I guess 5 pens for $110 was just too good to be true. :sad: (I only hope Sam's Club and our other U.S. pharmacies don't also get it warm from Turkey!!)

I bought a box of 5x3ml pens from Canadadrugsonline for $128 plus $10 S&H. It took 16 days to get them.

They were shipped from Turkey. Came in a cooler, the ice packs were melted and the insulin box was hot. I hope it didn't spoil. I will call tomorrow and complain. :evil:

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The insulin I had ordered from pharmacyrxworld.com would have come from Turkey, too. I became suspicious when I got an email saying it would be up to 21 days in transit, used their live chat, found this out in time to cancel the order about 15 minutes ago, and came to the Board to tell everyone. The friend who was going to split the box of 5 pens didn't want it either. In the unlikely event that Ragnar goes back on Lantus (he has been having wide swings, and Dr. is switching him to Prozinc), the friend will pick up hers and mine at Sam's Club in Fargo.

From the address on the website, it looks as if it would come from Winnipeg, very close to me since I live in ND. We should check out any Canadian pharmacy before ordering - it may not be Canadian after all.

I guess 5 pens for $110 was just too good to be true. :sad: (I only hope Sam's Club and our other U.S. pharmacies don't also get it warm from Turkey!!)

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I can't speak for the insulin from CanadaDrugsOnline, but I ordered from pharmacyrxworld, and my insulin originated from Turkey, but was shipped from Canada. The insulin is just fine, there is no problem with it. In fact, it is superior to the previous Lantus pens I had, which were US pens.

Just because it originates in Turkey, that does not mean that there is anything wrong with it. I used the first pen for 30 days with no sign of it losing potency...the only reason I opened a new pen is that Tinkles is doing very well and I didn't want to risk losing momentum.

My name is Myrna and my cat, Sebastian, was diagnosed with diabetes a week ago. Could someone help me with understanding the nomenclature for the quantities? Sebastian is getting 2cc of Lantus twice a day (from Costco, a small vial was $120!). I am confused about - what are - "Pens,?" cartridges ?, ml vs cc, cc vs units, etc! etc! I'd like to order from Canada as soon as I understand the terminology. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

hi myrna - i'm going to give you the link to the info about lantus that addresses this question and probably more than everything else you want to know about lantus! but specifically, lantus comes in 2 ways now - a larger vial that lasts most cats for several months, or a set of 5 pens. the cartridges have been phased out in the US - i don't know if they're available elsewhere or not.

see if this helps. and if you want regular help with sebastian, many of us who use lantus post daily on the Lantus Insulin Support forum. It's complicated enough that it really helps to have someone experienced walk a new person through it.

Hi Myrna,
Insulin is dosed in units not cc. Lantus is a U100 insulin, that means there are 100 units of insulin per cc (or ml, cc and ml are the same amount). The vial you bought has 10cc of insulin = 1000 units. Make sure that you are using the U100 syringes, U 100 syringes have orange caps. There are other are insulins that are U40 (40 units per cc) they have a red cap.

Pens are just a different packaging, ignore the cartridges, they have been discontinued. The purpose of the pens is for human diabetics to have a convenient way to carry their insulin with them. They are packaged in boxes of 5 pens each holding 3ml. For humans there is a disposable needle that screws on and the dose can be dialed in easily. Cats usually need fractions of units so we do not use the needles. We use the pens like small vials and draw the dose w/ a syringe. The advantage is in the shelf life. Once a container is first used the clock starts counting down. The mfg. recommends 28 days, but it may last longer. With the vial that is all your insulin at once and if you are using small doses you may end up throwing a lot away. Each pen is a separate container though and you have the 28 days or more for each of them. That's at least 140 days of insulin for about $200 as opposed to 28 days for $120.

Do come over to the Lantus forum, there are lots of informational posts on the top of the page to get you started. It is a much more active forum than the Supply closet and there is nearly always someone around to answer questions.

the lifespan of the lantus has just been revised and they're now saying that it can go for 6 months or more if you keep it refrigerated and don't let it get contaminated with anything, including the lubricant inside the syringes. so you never draw insulin into the syringe, then squirt any of it back into the vial or pen. one way trip out of the vial/pen only! :lol:

My name is Myrna and my cat, Sebastian, was diagnosed with diabetes a week ago. Could someone help me with understanding the nomenclature for the quantities? Sebastian is getting 2cc of Lantus twice a day (from Costco, a small vial was $120!). I am confused about - what are - "Pens,?" cartridges ?, ml vs cc, cc vs units, etc! etc! I'd like to order from Canada as soon as I understand the terminology. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

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1cc=mL

If you are using Lantus you need to use 3/10cc U-100 Syringes. Buy the ones that have 1/2 units.

1 vial has 100 units/10 ml so for every one ml there are 10 u. You usually inject very small number of units into your cat, so most of us buy pens for being more cost effective.

1 vial is about 130 dollars, but most of the time you wont have time to use the entire vial before it goes bad. (i used a vial for 3 months and I threw 1/2 of the bottle away)

1 pen is about 45 dollars. 1 pen has 3ml and it usually last 30 days, maybe more.

Lantus is available in 2 containers -- a vial, which is what it sounds like you have -- that contains 10 ml of insulin. It also comes in Solostar pens. These are like mini-vials. Each pen contains 3 ml of insulin and they are packaged with 5 pens to a box. The pens tend to be more economical than the vials.

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Patients taking prescription drugs without being examined and monitored by a health care practitioner may not receive the appropriate treatment to maintain or protect their health. They may also put themselves at risk for drug interactions or harmful side effects.

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Canadians with questions or complaints about drugs purchased over the Internet can call Health Canada's toll-free line at 1-800-267-9675.

For more information about the risks of buying drugs online, please see Health Canada’s Information Update: Health Canada Reminds Consumers About the Risks of Buying Drugs Online You may also visit an It's Your Health article: Buying Drugs over the Internet.

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PharmacyChecker.com provides ratings on all online pharmacies, including Canadian. Here is their ratings list. All of the pharmacies on this list have been verified as legitimate. Note that many of the phony pharmacies mentioned in Barbara's post have names that are very similar to legitimate pharmacies. Hope this helps avoid confusion.

Thanks, Venita. This is very helpful. I might add here that the Pharmacy Checker seal of approval is usually displayed on the legitimate online pharmacies' web pages. If you click on this seal, you will see more particulars, such as the date the seal was issued, if there is a parent company and/or dispensing pharmacy and what that parent company is, and other important information (such as the fact that the online pharmacy has a physical address--very important; do not order from pharmacies that do not have a real address!).

the lifespan of the lantus has just been revised and they're now saying that it can go for 6 months or more if you keep it refrigerated and don't let it get contaminated with anything, including the lubricant inside the syringes. so you never draw insulin into the syringe, then squirt any of it back into the vial or pen. one way trip out of the vial/pen only! :lol:

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Julie, do you have a source for that? I can't find anything about it searching the internet. Thanks.

Very interesting info Julie. I am going to be having a chit chat with the folks at my vet clinic. They are telling people (meaning me !!!) to not only inject some air into the vial of insuline but to then pull more into shring and then inject the excess back in !!!! I am gonna tell them the error of their ways and that they need to get up to speed on their insuline handling techniques !!!

Fred's on ProZinc and doing just OK (probably my fault). It's expensive and I wondered if there's a Canadian outlet for this product? Also, how do you know if this is the best brand for your cat? Would the other insulins work better? Can you switch between a couple for test purposes?

Fred's at the stage where he needs to be micro-managed with insulin. The syringes I use don't show good markings for 1/5 and 1/4 dosages. It's just a guess. Where can I get syringes with those markings?

Thanks for the conversion chart, Gayle. I'm using 3/10cc U-40 syringes, prescribed when I first started using Prozinc. They are fine but, I may need to start mico dosing soon and can't easily see a 1/2 or /14 dosage. Also, a pharmacist said the syringes could be used a second, but not a third time because the coating on the needle wears off and could be painful to administer. What's your thoughts on that. I like to save money, but don't want to be stupid.

I see that the other insulins don't recommend pulling product into the syringe and then pushing the excess back. The video from the Prozinc manufacturer, says the opposite. They want you to plunge the syringe into the vial, pull plunger back beyond the needed dosage with needle clearly in the liquid, then pushing back the excess to the desired dosage -- again with the needle in place. Do you think this is a problem?

Never re-use syringes because you are likely contaminating your insulin and wonder how a pharmacist could suggest such a thing. You don't know what is on the cat's hair and skin and also under the skin, so why would you want to be putting unknown factors into your Insulin bottle?
There are some who re-use lancets, but never syringes.

Some people shoot insulin back into the bottle, but I don't. if there are a few drops extra you can just squeeze out in the air - it is not much waste. Try drawing slowly to your dose so you don't have to worry about drawing too much.

I don't know Prozinc at all ... what size of a dose are you talking about, in decimal?

I use from 1/2u to 1u u-40 needles) just now depending on his numbers.

I'm noticing that there isn't much use of ProZinc by the on-line members. Is Lantus or the other one a better product. Should I ask my vet about switching. ProZinc costs about $100 per 10 ml bottle and lasts about 18 months, but I was told not to use it after about 6 months. At Fred's current usage, we have to throw a lot out.

The manufacturer's video suggested pulling the liquid past the point of need, then pushing it back into the bottle. I've been doing this since the beginning, but I can see the concern. I'll try to put just what's needed in future, then knocking out the air bubbles.

I'm still concerned about the ProZinc and would like some pros and cons comments about it's effectiveness versus the other vaccines.

If vision is the problem, then just get yourself a clip on magnifying glass.... look in any craft store as needlepoint requires some very small stitching.
I have one on a goose neck that clips on the edge of a cupboard shelf.

When you want to get to less than a .5u in a U100 syringe then you can use the drop method.
Practice with a used syringe, fill with water to the 1/2 unit marking, then twist the plunger to see how many drops you can get out of that .5unit. See if you can aim for 4 or 5 drops.

I'm still not clear about when to start micro-dosing. With Fred, his numbers can go from 90 to 150 in a 12-hour period. Sometimes closer. I usually shoot at 150 but not at 90. If his numbers get closer to the 100 mark, and are going down, I don't shoot. If they are going up around 100 I'll usually give 1/2u. But, is it recommended to give micro-doses under 100, if insulin has been given the day before. In other words, do you micro-dose (4-5 drops) just to keep the downward readings stable for a while?

I just bought a pack of 5 Lantus pens (3ml each) at a pharmacy here in Ottawa, Canada for $120. If someone wants to split the pack with me, let me know ($24 a cartridge) as I don't expect to need the whole thing. Expiry January 2014. It's insulin from a Canadian pharmacy

You might want to google PZI insulin, and check it out. It is more effective for cats than Lantus, which is for humans. My vet prescribed Lantus, and then I switched when I found out. And administer near the belly, not the neck or shoulders. My vet was wrong on that, also.

Just curious as to what data have that supports that PZI is more effective than Lantus and that belly shots are better.

london2z said:

You might want to google PZI insulin, and check it out. It is more effective for cats than Lantus, which is for humans. My vet prescribed Lantus, and then I switched when I found out. And administer near the belly, not the neck or shoulders. My vet was wrong on that, also.

You might want to google PZI insulin, and check it out. It is more effective for cats than Lantus, which is for humans. My vet prescribed Lantus, and then I switched when I found out. And administer near the belly, not the neck or shoulders. My vet was wrong on that, also.

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fwiw, there was at one time a pzi insulin that was pretty darn good for cats, made by idexx. sadly it was discontinued. fortunately as it's time was coming to a close, research had shown that lantus works fantastic for cats so most made the switch to lantus when the one pzi was discontinued. there is a compounded pzi by bcp that some have had some luck with and there is now prozinc that the kinks are still being worked out with so actually given what we kitty owners have to work with, lantus, and even levemir, seem to be the best choices out there for kitties

When Bean was dx, pzi by bcp was what my vet gave me. I used u100 needles for this, with 1/2 marks..... We only used it from 4/21 to 5/24 - she is now OTJ! I would guess the diet and less stress were the biggest factors, but the insulin seemed to work well.

Which Canadian pharmacies can be trusted? I've read this and haven't figured it out.
Sweet Max needs insulin and his Lantus will cost approx $218 for the 5 cartridges. I don't want to risk giving him bad Lantus. Approximately 8 years with the dire beasties.....want many more.

I just read this thread and like Cat and Sweet Max, I am confused at which Canada pharmacy to buy from. Which one to trust. I want to by the Solostar pens 5(3ml) pens. Of course best price is good but more importantly which pharmacy do I trust. Could anyone reading this question who buys from Canada please tell me which pharmacy they trust?

Thanks, Venita. This is very helpful. I might add here that the Pharmacy Checker seal of approval is usually displayed on the legitimate online pharmacies' web pages. If you click on this seal, you will see more particulars, such as the date the seal was issued, if there is a parent company and/or dispensing pharmacy and what that parent company is, and other important information (such as the fact that the online pharmacy has a physical address--very important; do not order from pharmacies that do not have a real address!).

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Sherry, I took Ella's recommendation to heart. DCIN orders and pays for insulin from a Canadian mail order pharmacy for several cats. I chose the pharmacy we use based on a combo of the "seal of approval" and the low price. I am currently using CanadaDrugCenter, and we haven't had any problems with our orders (except that they take some time and you need to order in advance of immediate need).

I had a Canadian friend buy me the 5 vials of Lantus OTC in Toronto before he was coming to NYC. No prescription needed for him to do that. IN the last 2 years it was about $90 US dollars for the 5 vials.

We bought a set of five 3 mL cartridges of Glargine through a Canadian Pharmacy. The actual source is a pharmacy in Britain and the shipping time from the UK, using normal first class mail, has now approached about two weeks, and it may be another half week before it actually gets to us. So, the glargine will have spent possibly three weeks unopened and unrefrigerated.
My question is has that unrefrigerated period damaged it to the point of no longer being usable? And if not, to what extent has that prolonged unrefrigerated unopened exposure reduced the length of time that the glargine can now be used if we begin refrigerating it immediately upon receipt?
I read the "Instructions for the Use, etc., " post on Lantus but the situation above was not discussed. Also, is there a way of testing the insulain to see whether it is useable?
Beauregard would appreciate your views.
Many thanks,
Heinz R.

Diabetic Cats in Need buys a fair amount of insulin from Canadian pharmacies. Last week, I wrote about AffordableDrugs.com stopping sales of cold-pack meds, including insulin. Now another pharmacy, CanadaDrugsOnline.com, has taken insulin off its meds list. When I called, the lady said that it was because of a directive from the Canadian International Pharmacy Association (CIPA) and that all the CIPA pharmacies will be discontinuing sales of insulin to US customers. I plan to write CIPA to try to verify this and determine the reason, but I'm curious whether anyone else is running into this problem? Thanks for your input.

Our association regularly reviews our safety protocols to make sure we are operating to the highest standards. While we are well aware that our procedures for temperature sensitive products such as insulin have enabled us to maintain our perfect safety record, we recently became concerned that an unforeseen delay of a shipment could result in the product falling outside of its tolerance range.

While this has never happened, our members must be diligent in the protection of patient safety and voted to adopt this new policy

I apologize for the inconvenience this has caused.

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It looks like this policy will be affecting all the "reliable" Canadian pharmacies, so I suggest that folks stock up while they can. SIGH.

Does anyone know if the "no scrip required" rule is also applicable to purchases made at a pharmacy counter? I realize that's probably more expensive than an on-line purchase, but since I live 45 minutes from the Canadian border I'm wondering if it might be worth my while to make the trip to patronize a Canadian pharmacy.

At the moment KR is not on insulin of any sort, but I expect that to change in the morning when I call in almost a week's worth of numbers to the vet. I'm already holding a scrip for Lantus; I'm just waiting for the vet to tell me to go fill it. My local (private) pharmacy quoted me $183 for a 10 mL vial.

I have never personally done it, Christine, but I understand that a US resident can buy insulin over the counter (no script required) if s/he physically goes to a Canadian pharmacy.

Given the current unavailability of insulin from reputable Canadian mail-order pharmacies, if I were 45 minutes outside of Canada, I would be taking a little road trip for insulin. I would perhaps post on the Health forum asking for Canadians to let me know what brick-and-mortar pharmacies tend to have the lower OTC prices.

Even in the US, $183 for a 10ml vial of Lantus is high. You might want to price compare with some other local pharmacies.